Trinamool workers display minister's hate speech on billboard

Kolkata, April 21 (IANS) Days after West Bengal Minister Jyotipriyo Mullick's hate speech against Marxists, "inspired" Trinamool Congress workers have endorsed his call to socially boycott the Left party workers in a large hoarding which has come up in the city's northern suburb.

The Bengali hoarding put up at Dum Dum urges Trinamool men not to allow Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) "harmads" (miscreants) into the party.

Some of the observations made in the hoarding read: "Don't enter into any kind of relationship, friendship or truce with CPI-M people", "Don't sip tea with them at tea stalls" and "Don't mingle with them and don't discuss anything with them".

The billboard was installed in the name of South Dum Dum Town Trinamool Youth Congress secretary Debasish Bandopadhyay, who was unavailable for comment.

Adressing a party programme April 15, Mullick had asked Trinamool supporters to socially boycott CPI-M and "learn to hate them" in order to exact revenge for "misdeeds".

"You should boycott CPI-M socially, don't mix with them. If a CPI-M supporter invites you to a marriage party or a programme don't go there.

"If you don't boycott them socially you won't be able to avenge the misdeeds and the injustice they have perpetuated when they were in power," Mullick had said.

"Don't eat with them, don't sit with them. You all should learn to hate them. Until and unless you learn to hate them you won't be able to take revenge," he added.

However, under severe criticism after his speech, Mullick had backtracked and alleged that his statement has been tampered with.

To a query about the hoarding, Mullick said it was done deliberately to malign the Trinamool.

"I won't be surprised if they have played into the hands of our opponents. I can only say that the party doesn't endorse this".